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Friday Wrap-Up – News From Annapolis Cider, Tatamagouche Brewing, Good Robot, Bogtrotter, Hell Bay, and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2016-11-25
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Annapolis Cider Company, Battery Park, Big Spruce Brewing, Bogtrotter Craft Brewery, Foghorn Brewing, Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Good Robot Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, Hell Bay Brewing, HopYard, James Joyce Irish Pub, Ladies Beer League, Mill Street Brewpub, Nine Locks Brewery, North Brewing, PEI Brewing Co., Picaroons, Propeller Brewing, Pump House Brewery, Shiretown Beer, Stillwell Beer Bar, Tatamagouche Brewing, Tide & Boar Brewing, Unfiltered Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing. Leave a Comment

Happy Friday, folks! The weather has definitely turned cooler in the region, with some unlucky spots even seeing the first snowfall of the year. Fall was great while it lasted, I guess! Let’s get you warmed up with some beer news from across the region.

• The latest release in the Something Different series from Annapolis Cider Company is now available. Hopped Pear is a dry cider made from different varieties of locally-grown apples, cold-steeped with three hop varieties: Cascade, Mosaic, and Northern Brewer. The cider then went on to be blended with fresh-pressed Flemish Beauty heirloom pear juice, resulting in a “clear and golden cider with the light flavour and aromas of citrusy-hops… balanced out by mellow notes of fresh pear”; it weighs in at 6.5% ABV. The charity recipient of this batch is the Wolfville Area Food Bank, with 50 cents from each refill being donated. And be sure to check out the cidery’s website, as online sales for cases of their Juicy & Sweet and Crisp & Dry ciders have begun, with shipping available throughout Nova Scotia.

• Tatamagouche Brewing has an interesting new beer out, Square One, a dry-hopped Saison. Featuring a grist of mainly Pilsner malt, with a small amount of Rye and Spelt thrown in, the beer was fermented with the New World Saison blend from Escarpment Labs. This blend contains a blend of Saccharomyces and Brettanomyces strains, to give characteristics of fruit, funk, and “rustic charm”, all of which are perfect for a traditional Saison. This 6.1% ABV, 10 IBU brew was then dry-hopped with Citra, Amarillo and Hallertau Blanc, to give a big boost to the already-present fruit character. It made its debut at Stillwell last week; look for it to pop up at several other tap accounts soon. The remainder of the batch will be bottled (650 mL) and released within the next two weeks.

• The gang at Good Robot Brewing Company apparently didn’t get the memo about it being a quiet week, as they’ve got three beers to talk about (and some events below as well). First off, version 7.0 of their Burban Legend APA hit the taps earlier this week. The grain bill maintains the now-familiar combination of two-row, pilsner, amber, and caramel with a little spicy rye kick, while the hop side still features Cascade but paired now with Falconer’s Flight 7C’s and Amarillo. The big difference this time around is a dry-hop with Mosaic that yields some blueberry, melon and cantaloupe notes. As always, fermented with California Ale yeast for a classic American clean, ester-less profile, you can find it at the taproom and at the brewery for growler fills. Next up, today sees the return of the seasonal Awesome Beer, Great Job! Billed as an “Autumn Saison” and built on a base of Pilsner malt, it also features wheat, dark crystal and rye. Hopping is solely the American Hallertau-descendent Mt. Hood variety to the tune of 22 IBU. The Brewmaster selected the Old World Blend yeast from Escarpment Yeast to do the goo for this brew, yielding roughly 6.4% ABV and aromas of banana, citrus, spice and plum, which also manifest as flavours on the palate. There’s some creamy mouthfeel from the wheat and a sharp finish with a peppery and spicy aftertaste. Lastly on the beer front is a special brew conceived for funky folk groove band Earthbound Trio and available only at their Time Traveller’s Soiree show tonight at The Seahorse Tavern. Dubbed Thyme Hopper, it’s a BetaBrew featuring organic Nugget hops from Lunahop Farm in Cornhill, NB, owned by Earthbound Trio’s bassist, “Big Orange” Bob Fitzgerald. The beer also boasts thyme, grapefruit zest and some additional American hop varieties for a spicy, citrusy kick. The band will also be playing a special sneak peek matinee show this afternoon from 4-6pm at the Good Robot taproom.

• Fredericton’s Bogtrotter has a brand new beer out – Tipsy Toad, an American Pale Ale. Single-hopped with Mosaic – an American variety well-known for having strong characteristics of melon and berries – it’s described by the brewery as a refreshing, easy-drinking, and hoppy brew. Coming in at 5% ABV and 40 IBUs, look for it on tap at select accounts in the city; it should also hit a couple of ANBL stores within a couple of weeks, when it is available in bottles.

• Liverpool’s Hell Bay Brewing has released a brand new beer this week, in collaboration with the Christmas Tree Council of Nova Scotia. Tannen Bomb is a 5.0% ABV Blonde Ale, with a couple of twists: honey was added to the beer for a light sweetness, and Balsam Fir was added to the end of the boil for a light character of fir flavour and aroma. Lightly hopped to 17 IBUs, the beer is available on tap at the brewery now, and at a couple of spots in HRM this weekend (The Henry House and Downeast Beer Factory). Bottles will be available at the brewery and the Halifax private stores next week (when many of the tree stands will be launching).

• Fredericton’s Grimross Brewing has released a new Belgian-inspired beer, Détourné. This 5.8% ABV ale features floral aromatics, bitter citrus flavour, and has a pleasant dry finish. Currently available for growler fills and pints at the brewery, grab it around the city at better beer bars.

• Garrison Brewing is expanding their Cellar Series lineup today with another wood-aged beer: Rum-Barrel Aged Spruce Beer. The 7.5% ABV base beer, featuring loads of molasses and spruce and fir needles and boughs, spent a couple of months in rum barrels from Lunenburg’s Ironworks Distillery, picking up flavour, aroma, and alcohol from the spirit, ending up at 11.0% ABV. Bottles of this special beer are available exclusively at the brewery now, retailing for $15.95 for a large, shareable, 650 ml bottle.

• In other winter-related beer news, Nine Locks will be releasing Chocolate Stout, a smooth, dark, and full-bodied brew, around the beginning of December. Chocolate is definitely the dominating flavour here (real chocolate was added during the brewing process), with notes of coffee and roasted grain balancing things off. Hopped with East Kent Goldings to 28 IBUs, to balance the sweetness from the grist, it comes in at 6.1% ABV. In addition, look for the crowd-favourite Cream Ale (4.8% ABV, 15 IBUs) to make a return very soon.

• St John’s Mill Street Brewpub has released a new brew this morning, RDF Hefe. Named after the favourite local weather of Rain, Drizzle, and Fog, this hazy beer is Mill Street’s first hefeweizen, featuring a bright straw colour and long-lasting head from the generous amount of wheat in the grist bill. The iconic banana and clove aromatics are there, thanks to the German Weisse yeast used. Grab the 5.7% ABV, 25 IBU refreshing beer on tap at the brewery now.

Here are some more events coming up in the next few weeks, as promised!

• Tonight‘s the night at Charlottetown’s HopYard, where Hogie, Mitch and the rest of the the Upstreet crew are taking over the taps, kitchen, and music. Drop by for the debut of their 4.5% ABV Mighty Neighbourly SMaTH SIPL (Single Malt and Triple-Hopped Session India Pale Lager), a special keg of their De Novo I Brett Saison, and enjoy Chef Jane’s Upstreet-inspired menu. Check out the full line-up here. See you at 6pm.

• Good Robot gives you the chance to walk the positive karma highway this week with their Toys for Pints + Cookie Decorating Party on Sunday, November 27th, from noon to close at the GR taproom. Bring a new-in-box toy with a $20 (or more) value along with you and you’ll receive a pint on the house while your donation will help support Moms in need through Every Woman’s Centre in Cape Breton. Meanwhile, the fine folks at Rinaldo’s are donating cookies: five bucks buys you two cookies to decorate, with proceeds going to Prescott Group, an organization dedicated to aiding adults with intellectual disabilities. It’s all so simple: bring toy(s), get beer; buy tasty cookies, make them pretty. Either way (or both ways!) you’ll be doing good, having fun and drinking beer. EVERYBODY WINS.

• A reminder of the Big Spruce Tap Takeover of Battery Park, happening next Thursday, December 1. In addition to a solid contingency of BS’s current line-up, this will serve as the launch of the Big Spruce/North/Battery Park conspiracy brew, Blood Donair, the Imperial Stout brewed with a small quantity of rendered, dried, and powdered house-made donair meat, aged on raspberries. Keep an eye on BP’s Instagram feed, as they are releasing the beer list in spurts over the next few days.

• Also, and in spite of the fact that we’ll no doubt bang this gong again next week to really bring it home, a reminder that a week from today, Friday, December 2, from 5pm, is the second Good Robot BrewBot Takeover, this time with Brathair Brewing. On the heels of a wildly successful event (on a TUESDAY, no less) featuring the brews of award-winning home brewer Keith Forbes, Good Robot once again sees half their taps taken over by home brewers (and members of the BrewNosers). Justin, Eric, Rod and Jason take beer (and brotherhood!) seriously and are bringing their ‘A’ game with the Stillwell Open-winning Kissed by Elvis (IPA), the Monty Python sketch-sounding 3 Scots and a Frenchman (Scottish Ale with Saison yeast), Daughter of Sin (DIPA using only whirlpool hops), IPLish (India Pale Lager, sorta), and two variations on a Berliner Weisse, one with raspberries, one with peaches. You may have experienced other Brathair brews brewed by Big Spruce, as Brathair Eric American Wheat was the 2014 Big Spruce Homebrew Challenge Winner and Czech Yo’self Dark Lager took the prize in the 2015 competition. Come experience what they get up to when they’re not entering competitions and are left to their own devices.

• Unfiltered Brewing‘s tap room Charm School will be celebrating their First Anniversary on December 4th. Stay tuned for details of what’s pouring, which will surely include at least one new beer, as well as the return of many favourites from Unfiltered’s arsenal.

• The Ladies Beer League will be holding their Annual Holiday Brunch at Stillwell December 11th. Your $30 entry includes three 5 ounce pours from a Picaroons Winter Warmer Vertical (2014, 2015, 2016), as well as your first taste of Chef Ruppel’s specially-created brunch menu items. Tickets for the 12:00 to 3:00 event (normal Sunday hours at from 4:00 pm) are on sale now, and if you have any dietary concerns, be sure to let them know ASAP so alternative items can be prepared.

A few more parting shots today…

– The new Hammond River DIPA that we mentioned last month is now available – The Excavator (8.4% ABV, 106 IBUs) is hopped entirely with Simcoe, and joins the re-released Imperial Vanilla Porter at a few lucky HR accounts in New Brunswick.
– PEI Brewing Co. has their barrel-aged Doppelbock, Hell Street (8.1% ABV) returning this Monday at the PEIBC taproom in Charlottetown. Stay tuned to their Twitter and Facebook pages for updates on what they have planned for the release.
– Pump House has re-released their black Lager, Schwarzbier (7% ABV), which has “subtle notes of chocolate and coffee, but with a crisp Lager finish”; it’s available on tap now at the brewpub in Moncton.
– After a brief hiatus, the house-brewed beers have returned at Moncton’s Tide & Boar Gastropub. The 5.9% ABV Amarillo, Citra & Summit Pale Ale is back on, featuring predominantly late-addition hops for plenty of aroma and low bitterness.
– Halifax and Dartmouth’s Propeller Brewing has released the next in their line of canned beers: Rye IPA. The 6.8% ABV, 68 IBU beer is now in the easy-to-transport 473ml can format, perfect for those winter days on the beach or in your boat. Hmm, well, OK, maybe a nicer format to stick in the snowbank while shoveling (you know it’s coming, folks!). Grab them on Gottingen or Windmill today. Keep your eyes peeled as they continue releasing more in this package format.
– Charlo’s Shiretown Beer has brought back a favourite seasonal today, Venezuelan Express Porter. A first impression of the name would make you think “coffee”, but it actually refers to a type of crude oil produced in Venezuela at the time, that used to come into Dalhousie for the now-closed Dalhousie Generating Station. Grab bottles of the 5.0% ABV beer at the brewery at 363 Chaleur Street.
– After their launch last Friday, Rothesay’s Foghorn Brewing has begun to sell kegs to local licensees. Fredericton’s Jame Joyce tapped a keg of Brian Stout last night, and more Fh beer will certainly be flowing around the Saint John River Valley soon. Keep an eye on their social media for the latest deliveries.

Have an excellent weekend! And a final reminder that tickets for the 5th Annual Fredericton Craft Beer Festival went on sale this morning at 11 am (online, or through their app), with VIP tickets selling out immediately! Not to worry, there’s still other options (afternoon and evening), but don’t hesitate! And come drink with us at one of the many events happening during the week leading up to the FCBF.

Friday Wrap-Up – News from Foghorn Brewing, Boxing Rock, Roof Hound, BarNone, Flying Boats, Big Spruce, and more!

Posted by acbbaaron on 2016-11-18
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, 902 BrewCast, BarNone Brewing, Big Spruce Brewing, Bissell Brothers, Boxing Rock Brewing, Brathair Brewing, Cape Breton Beer Fest, Flying Boats Brewing, Foghorn Brewing, Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, Garrison Brewing, Good Robot Brewing, Graystone Brewing, HopYard, King Street Ale House, Maybee Brewing, Mikkeller, Nine Locks Brewery, Orono Brewing Company, Picaroons, Roof Hound Brewing, Saint John Ladies Beer Club, Sober Island Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, Tidehouse Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Uncle Leo's Brewery, Unfiltered Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing, YellowBelly Brewery. Leave a Comment

You wouldn’t know it by the weather in much of the region, but winter is theoretically on its way and we’re starting to see some seasonal brews in that vein released here on the East Coast. At the same time, there’s plenty of non-seasonal action in the ten-plus brand new beers announced, the craft scene continues grow with another brewery opening it’s doors in New Brunswick, and there’s lots of beer-related news to share and events in the offing. Here’s this week’s attempt to tell you everything you need to know about craft beer in Atlantic Canada.

• Congratulations are in order as Foghorn Brewing in Rothesay officially opens their doors today. Located at 47 Clark Road, immediately adjacent to the CrossFit gym, Foghorn is serving samples, pints, and growlers of five brand new beers, including The Yellow Dart Session IPA (3.9% ABV), Golden Grover British Golden Ale (5.0% ABV), Brian Stout (5.0% ABV), Constable Winchester IPA (6.5%), and Old Forte Winter Warmer (6.5%). Their opening hours are 10-10 daily. For those who want to sit and enjoy a few pints, outside food is welcome, and can be ordered for delivery on-site (using the authentic restored 1950s era payphone). For those in NB, but not *quite* close enough to visit, look for kegs to hit local bars and restaurants late next week. For the latest news, be sure to follow their Facebook and Twitter pages. Check out our Profile of them, published in October.

• Following the maxim that when opportunity knocks one should open the door wide, Boxing Rock recently found themselves saying yes to a batch of malt from local malthouse Horton Ridge that hadn’t proceeded as scheduled due to a power interruption. Assessing this malt as reminiscent of a more rustic, homegrown Pilsner, the next step was to source hops to compliment its biscuity, bready flavour. Enter Clear Valley Hops with both Wild Turkey, a native Ontario variety and Crystal, an American hop with noble German lineage through the Hallertauer family tree. The Wild Turkey brings a smooth bittering profile along with an herbal and floral aroma that matches well with the fruit from this Ontario-grown Crystal. The resultant beer, dubbed Kilnus Interruptus was brewed in the American Pale Ale style at 5.5% ABV. It will be available on tap at select accounts in Halifax, in bottles at all of the private liquor stores in Halifax, in growlers at Boxing Rock’s stalls at the Halifax and Dartmouth farmers markets and, of course, at the brewery retail store in Shelburne. Only one batch of this irreproducible brew has been made, so you’ll want to act fast if you’d like a taste!

• Digby’s Roof Hound Brewing is releasing a new beer this weekend, branching out the variety of their offerings. Grumpy Cranberry Orange Sour is a 3.8% Kettle Sour beer, featuring loads of orange zest in the boil, and further aged on home-made cranberry sauce. To get you up to speed, Kettle Sours are a style of beer heavily inspired by the Berliner Weisse of Northern Germany. Usually featuring wheat malt as a significant portion of the grist, the low ABV and light-bodied beer features a distinctive acidic character from lactic acid. Lactobacillus bacteria are responsible for producing the acid, and are added to the wort in one of several ways: as a pure pitch from a yeast company; via un-mashed grain added to the wort (Lacto is commonly found on raw barley grain); or through Lacto-containing cultures, including yogurt. After addition of the bacteria, the wort is kept warm while the pH lowers, usually to 3.5 or lower (standard beer is in the pH 5 range). Once complete, the beer is heated/boiled to kill the Lacto, and then cooled and further fermented with a more traditional ale or lager yeast. For more beer learnin’, check out Milk the Funk, a resource for commercial and homebrewers alike. Drop by Roof Hound on Saturday, November 19th for the release, with the beer flowing at 9pm, and Tide & Timbre playing a set starting at 10pm.

• PEI’s BarNone has a couple of new beers in the pipeline: first up is SMaSH Ella, a single-malt-and-single-hop beer featuring – you guessed it – Ella, an Australian hop varietal. This relatively-new hop is known for “distinct tropical flavours”, especially when used in the dry-hop, which it definitely was with this brew. Very pale-coloured, it’s easy-drinking at just 4.2% ABV and 23 IBUs; look for it on tap around the Island this weekend. Next is BarNone’s first take on the Extra Special Bitter style, which has been a frequent request by fans of the brewery. Bitter Winter ESB features a grist made up mainly of floor-malted barley from Nova Scotia’s Horton Ridge, and was hopped with U.K. varieties. Fermented, interestingly enough, with an Abbey-style yeast strain, the beer weighs in at 5.6% ABV and 36 IBUs. This one was just brewed recently, so look for it on tap in a couple of weeks.

• The winter beers continue to trickle in, as Flying Boats is releasing their newest seasonal, Fireside Friend, which is their take on the Winter Warmer style. A full-bodied ale exhibiting plenty of malt character, expect flavours of caramel, nuts, and molasses. Further-complemented with the additional of spices such as cinnamon sticks, grated nutmeg, cloves, and peeled ginger, this is naturally a bigger beer, weighing in at 7.1% ABV and 32 IBUs. This one is going to be available on tap only; expect to see it any day now at the following locations: the Tide & Boar, James Joyce Irish Pub, Graystone, Saint John Ale House, and Ducky’s Pub.

• Taking a left-turn from the winter beers, Nyanza’s Big Spruce Brewing has released Langered Stook, a “Hoppy Half Wit”. Brewed in the Hopfenweisse style (which originated between a collaboration between Schneider and Brooklyn Brewery), it features Belgian Witbier and German Hefeweizen characteristics, with a healthy dose of hops. In this case, lots of late and dry-hop additions of Amarillo, Citra, El Dorado, and Mandarina Bavaria, which themselves display notes of fruit and citrus, are enhanced by fermentation using the Fruity Witbier yeast from Escarpment Labs. At 4.8% ABV and 43 IBUs, this isn’t your Uncle Dieter’s Hefe! Look for it on tap in HRM at Battery Park, Lion & Bright and Stillwell, as well as at the Big Spruce and Breton Brewing co-Tap Takeover at Governor’s Pub after Saturday’s Cape Breton Beer Fest.

• Picaroons has announced the details on their latest one-off release at their General Store in Saint John – Cranberry Wheat is just as the name suggests, an American Wheat Ale brewed with real cranberries, sourced from Sunberry Cranberry Producers out of Maugerville, NB. Described by the brewery as “sweet, smooth, and just a tiny bit of tart”, it’s quite sessionable at 4.2% ABV. Available on tap now, for a limited time.

• Tuesday of this week saw a new beer available on tap at Yellowbelly Brewery in St. John’s. On the face of it, Labrador Lager is vaguely reminiscent of last year’s Oktoberfest, the brewery’s first lager, which was a festbier made with Pilsen, Munich and Vienna malts and Styrian Goldings and Saphir hops. The Labrador replaces the Vienna with Caramunich, which will bring additional body and some sweetness, and substitutes Super Styrian hops for the Styrian Goldings while featuring “a ton” of the Saphir to bring a sweet citrus character. Billed as 6.5% ABV and in the Helles Bock style, it’s been lagering for weeks now and should be well-balanced and integrated.

• Hot on the heels of last week’s Danko SMaSH comes another new offering from Unfiltered Brewing, this time a devious-sounding DIPA with specs that may very well give prospective hop-lovers a slight pause. Listed at a massive 10% ABV and a typically NASH-ian 100+ IBU, this beer has been aged on white oak for 8 weeks or so and apparently displays none of the warning signs you’d normally detect from such a powerful brew, so they put it in the name. Warning Label is available starting today at the brewery and next door at Charm School for pints and growler fills. Whatever happens, you will not be able to say that you were not warned.

• Those crazy kids at Good Robot Brewing Company are releasing a new beer today: Extra BIG-ASS Beer – Camacho Lager is an amber malty lager in the European style, somewhere in the vicinity of a Märzen or Oktoberfest. The malt bill features Vienna, 2-row, coffee and smoked malts, with some flaked oats to enhance the mouthfeel. On the hops side it marries two varieties developed and released in the 1970s, the German Perle, known for a floral and spicy character, and the American Willamette, which features fruity and floral notes. A true lager, it is bready on the nose and the palate, with prominent roasted flavours, some lingering spice, and a crisp, dry finish. At 5.2% ABV and 24 IBU, it’s gluten-reduced and should be quite crushable. You’ll be able to find its ample hindquarters today at the Good Robot taproom.

• Halifax’s Garrison Brewing is releasing the latest in their Cellar Series today, a Rum Barrel-Aged version of their Honey Lavender. The base beer, produced with lavender grown at Meander River, and wildflower honey, spent several months in Ironworks Distillery barrels, taking on loads of rum and wood character, as well as a few points of alcohol, with this version weighing in at 11.0% ABV (the non-barrelled is 6.5% ABV). Grab a bottle or two (this beer is perfect for aging) at the brewery today, as it is in high demand and short supply!

• Today is the release of Episode 1 of the 902 BrewCast podcast. Kyle, Phil and Tony sit down with Peter Burbridge and Josh Herbin of North Brewing to learn more about how they got to where they are, and what’s next for the brewery. Sharing some beers and chatting beer, sounds like a great way to spend your hour commute home today. Subscribe to the podcast here, iTunes and Google Play links are coming shortly. *Maybe wait until you’re home to crack open that Wiley Boys II.*

As we pass the half-way point of the month, there are plenty of great events coming up on our radar. Here are a select few that we can cram in today:

• New Brunswick-based band (and hop farmers) Earthbound Trio are embarking on a Maritimes Brewery tour today. Starting at Upstreet Nov 18, they will be at the Big Spruce/Breton Brewing after-party November 19th, and Roof Hound Brewing Nov 22nd. There are a few more stops during and after these dates, be sure to check their Facebook page for the latest information.

• Cape Breton Beer Fest is tomorrow November 19th, at the Sydney Cruise Terminal (aka The Big Fiddle). It will serve as the official launch of Halifax’s 2 Crows Brewing. Pours of their Table Beer, Wild NE IPA, and 100% Brett Fermented Golden Ale, all produced on their pilot system, will be available to thirsty attendees. Sober Island Brewing will be debuting their British IPA at the Fest, as well as a cask of their Mild Ale, plus a bevvy of brand new beers mentioned here (and not)… Tickets are still available, and check out the brewery list here.

• Salvatore’s Pizza is hosting a two-day tap (and kitchen) takeover by Unfiltered Brewing November 22 and 23, the Garlic & Hops Tastebud Take-Down. Featuring a handful of Unfiltered taps, as well as Greg Nash-smoked brisket, NashBomb sausages from Getaway Butcher Shop, plus plenty of treats and surprises. Be sure to drop by to take part in the fun!

• Uncle Leo‘s will be launching a brand new beer November 23rd, Sunburst Pale Ale. The 5.5% ABV golden amber brew is reminiscent of a Sunburst guitar, and hits “all of the right notes”, according to the collaborators Dave Gunning, JP Cormier & Jamie Robinson. Drop by Piper’s for a glass of the beer (from a special cask double dry-hopped with Amarillo and Simcoe) and appetizers. Tickets are $20, and available at Uncle Leo’s (by phone or in person), and are limited to only 60, so act today! Find out more on their FB page.

• The Saint John Ladies Beer Club has announced their next meet-up, being held next Friday, November 25th. Drop by Big Tide Brewing at 7:00 PM for an intro talk on the beer-making process, and meet with fellow ladies who are also enjoying the burgeoning Saint John beer scene. There is no cover to attend (pay as you go for food and beer), but please do pre-register so the organizers know how many attendees to expect.
• Tickets for the 5th Annual Fredericton Craft Beer Festival officially go on sale next Friday, November 25th, at 11 am. Like last year, the festival itself will be just one part of a weeklong series of events, being held from March 6th-12th, 2017. The beer festival will take place on Saturday, March 11th, with McInnes Cooper returning as the presenting sponsor. If you’re planning on attending (and why wouldn’t you be?), please get your tickets early – they regularly go very quickly, with VIP tickets in particular selling out in about an hour. We’ll have plenty of details on the week of events as March approaches!
• Upstreet will be hosting a tap takeover at Charlottetown’s Hopyard, next Friday, November 25th. HopUp will begin at 6 pm and continue until close, with all ten taps belonging to tasty Upstreet brews… including a special release brewed specifically for the tap takeover. Upstreet is calling this one a SMaTH SIPL; no, we don’t have a lisp… that’s a “Single Malt and Triple-Hopped Session India Pale Lager”. Brewed with Maritime 2-row malt and hopped with New Brunswick-grown Columbus, Chinook and Nugget, it comes in at 4.5% and 45 IBUs, and is described as “clean, crisp, dank and piney”; the name will be released when the beer is! In addition to all the beer, Hopyard’s Chef Jane has concocted an Upstreet-inspired menu for all your solid-food needs, and the Upstreet staff will be spinning their favourite records all evening.
• Living in Fredericton and looking for something to do with the kids next Saturday, November 26th? Look no more – Crayons n’ Beer is scheduled to take place at the King Street Ale House from 2:00-4:00 pm! This family-friendly event is the brain-child of those behind the FCBF, and features activities for both your child (colouring) and you (colouring and drinking beer!). Colouring sheets and other materials will be provided (although feel free to bring your own as well), and each adult will be treated to two flights of beer. In addition, Red Rover‘s Adam Clawson will do a live reading of one of the best children’s books in modern times, The Day the Crayons Quit. Attendance is by donation (suggested is $20 per adult), with all proceeds going to Team Diabetes (tax receipts will be provided). If you plan on attending, you must donate and register in advance.

• Next weekend, the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers -Atlantic Chapter is offering the first module of their Certified Beer Professional Program. November 26 and 27, 10:00-3:00 on both days at the Prince George Hotel. Garrison Brewing’s Brewmaster Daniel Girard will lead attendees through lectures laying out the history, production, styles and service of beer, giving students the knowledge base necessary to take and pass the Certified Beer Server exam from Cicerone. The course includes a textbook, tour of Garrison, tasting of several beers, and the cost and facilitation of the exam. Find out more details, and sign up today!

• A reminder that next weekend is the Big Spruce Home Brew Challenge, where homebrewers from across the Maritimes are competing to produce the best Dark Mild, Double IPA, and Experimental Sour. For those entrants who haven’t already mailed in their registration form, or dropped off their beer (at Big Spruce, or with Chris), be sure to reach out today to organize that! And we’ll see you at Wooden Monkey on November 27th for the party and announcement.

• After a brilliantly successful BrewBot takeover by Keith Forbes on Tuesday, the fine folks at Good Robot have invited the next homebrew crew to invade. On December 2nd, Bráthair Brewing will be taking over the taps with six beers, including their Stillwell Open-winning Kissed by Elvis Double IPA, 3 Scots & a Frenchman Scottish ale with Saison yeast, and Daughter of Sin Double IPA with only whirlpool hops. Check out the video to learn a bit more about the Brothers in (Beer) Arms, and drop by that Friday for some well-crafted beer.

• One of the first brewery Christmas parties was announced earlier this week, with Maybee Brewing confirming theirs to take place on Saturday, December 10th. Shake the Shivers will be a semi-formal event, and should begin around 7 pm. Lots of beer will be on tap for purchase, live music will start at 8pm and will be playing throughout the night, and Milda’s Pizzas & More will be on-hand to make sure you don’t go hungry. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $12, and will also be available at the door for $20; this price includes the use of a shuttle from 12:30-1:30 am, which will take you downtown to the Tannery, where you can continue your party!

• Details are now available for Stillwell’s Mikkeller Tap Takeover. With two dozen beers coming, it is far too epic for just one weekend (or month!), so they will be holding Part 1 of the Danish Invasion December 17th, and Part 2 January 14th. Mark your calendars now for a blast of innovative collaborative beers coming your way. And in the meantime, drop by this Sunday, November 20th for their Third Anniversary Party, and December 10th for the Bissell Brothers/Orono Brewing Tap Takeover.

Just a few more things today…

– Truro’s Nook and Cranny has a new Pale Ale hitting the taps, one dry-hopped with New Zealand’s Motueka. The crisp and clean beer is 5.5% ABV and 30 IBUs.
– Sea Level has released the 2016 version of Crossing Muddy Waters Brown Ale. This year’s batch features Horton Ridge Malt in the grist, and weighs in at 5.5% ABV. Available now in cans and growler fills.
– Congratulations to Tidehouse Brewing on their inaugural brews last weekend! Look for these to be available to the public late this month/early December.
– TrailWay‘s Rype (5% ABV) – a rye-APA hopped with lots of Citra, Comet, and Mosaic – will be featured in this weekend’s ANBL growler program, where it will be available for fills at all five non-Fredericton growler locations (hey, it’s only fair that they spread the love a little!).
– Uncle Leo’s is looking for a part-time production worker, involved in all aspects of the brewing and packaging process, as well as retail customer service. Usual operating hours are Tuesday to Saturday, with the highest need being Thursday through Saturday. Previous brewery experience will be given preference, but is not necessary. Reach out to them on Facebook, or via email.
– Fredericton’s Graystone Brewing has debuted a new beer this week, Burning Rock Red. This 4.5% ABV & 25 IBU is available at the brewery and tap room for pints, and crowler fills to go.
– The family of private beer stores Cristall Wine Merchants, Harvest Wines and Spirits, and RockHead Wine and Beer Market are releasing the “Merry Maritimer’s Christmas Craft Beer Countdown”. Featuring 24 beer and cider from across the Maritimes, with products from Breton, Boxing Rock, Bulwark Cider, Garrison, Nine Locks, Picaroons, Propeller, Spindrift, Tatamagouche, and Upstreet. Pre-order your $125 now, for pick up November 25th.

Friday Wrap-Up – Two New Charlottetown Beer Bars Announced, Plus Beers From Granite, YellowBelly, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2016-04-22
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Big Spruce Brewing, Bore City Brewing, Charlottetown Beer Garden, Good Robot Brewing, Granite Brewery, Grimross Brewing, HopYard, Lion & Bright, Local Connections, North Brewing, Picaroons, Railcar Brewing, Saltbox Brewing, Tatamagouche Brewing, Uncle Leo's Brewery, Unfiltered Brewing, YellowBelly Brewery. Leave a Comment

Welcome to the weekend, and a beautiful Friday! Beer news in our region is a bit slower this week, but there’s still plenty to talk about…

• Prince Edward Island should soon be expanding options for enjoying craft beer, as the Island’s first outdoor beer garden is being planned for downtown Charlottetown, as reported by the Guardian late last week. Business partners Steve Barber and Jacob Hiemstra, owners of local restaurants such as Hunter’s Ale House, hope to have the location open on the corner of Prince and Kent streets by late June. The Charlottetown Beer Garden and Seafood Patio should have about 25 taps, with 12 dedicated to craft breweries and another several reserved for imports. While local, Island breweries will naturally be a big focus, Barber is in talks with PEILCC to feature other craft breweries from the Maritimes. Live music and fresh, local seafood will also be a feature of the restaurant, as well as other beer-pairing favourites such as sausages and pretzels. Stay tuned for more info…

• But that’s not all! HopYard, a craft beer bar focusing on “local Island beer, regional breweries, and beers from across the continent”, is set to open downtown at 151 Kent St. on Monday, May 9th. Owned by Mike Ross and Brett Hogan, the bar will feature draught beer only, with 10 always-rotating taps. Award-winning Chef Jane Crawford will be in charge of the food menu, with all items priced at under $8 (note that while bar snacks will stay the same, all menu entrees will also be rotating). Cider, wine and spirits will also be available, and a “vast vinyl selection” will be on-hand for customers to look through and make selections to be played on the bar’s sound system. Open every day at 11 am, the bar’s simple motto – “Beer. Food. Vinyl.” – perfectly sums up their mission statement!

• Halifax’s Granite Brewery has released their latest seasonal beer, Granite IPA. Light copper in colour, the 5.5% ABV beer was brewed with healthy doses of East Kent Goldings and Cascade hops, to 55 IBUs. Grab a growler at the brewery, or a pint at better beer bars in the city.

• Back in March, we reported on a new beer being brewed by YellowBelly that involved the addition of a large amount of stale bread from neighbouring Rocket Bakery, as a statement to support those who minimize the wasting of food. Well, that beer, named Brewis Hard Tack Ale, is now on tap at the brewpub. The brewery describes the brown, 4% ABV beer as showing notes of “pepper from the rye, a lactic bite from the sourdough, and figs and raisins as backnotes”, along with some herbal and spiciness from the Willamette hops. Bottles will be available shortly at both the brewery and NLC, as well. Learn more about the ingredients, process, and beer, at YB’s site.

• Unfiltered is releasing another new beer today (and those at yesterday’s punk album evening got a sneak peek) – Riddle of Steel is an American IPA described as “bright and juicy, with a serious New England influence on top of the usual San Diego roots”. Coming in at 7% ABV and 70 IBUs, this very-pale-coloured hoppy beer will be on tap for growler fills at the retail store at noon, by the pint at Charm School at 4 pm, and in the wild at local bars shortly.

•  Good Robot has released what they’re referring to as “a damn good cup of beer”, their Damn Fine Coffee and Cherry Pie Pale Ale. Brewed with a grist including Pilsner, Red X, and Rye malt, plus some Flaked Barley, it was hopped with Falconer’s Flight and Cascade to 40 IBUs. In addition, approximately 3.5% of the beer volume comes from the addition of cold-brewed Java Blend Ethiopian Guji coffee, which is “grown in cherry soil and known for its berry character”, according to the brewery. The resultant 5.1% ABV Pale Ale is described by the brewery as exhibiting notes of coffee and caramel, with a chocolate forefront; slight acidity and tartness come from the Guji coffee as well, as the beer starts off as creamy before turning slightly sharp/acidic. Grab a pint or growler at Good Robot now, and look for it in rotation at taps around HRM.

• Saltbox Brewery, currently in development in Mahone Bay, has confirmed that they have successfully purchased the building on Main Street that will serve as their brewery and storefront. With their 12 hL DME brewhouse to be delivered in May, they are planning on a mid-summer launch. Read more on their site.

There are a few events coming up in the next bit that are worth checking out. And remember, NS Craft Beer Week kicks off in just two weeks, May 6th! Check out our Calendar and Map for all of the events, and we’ll be adding more as details are announced.

• Bishop’s Cellar is holding a free in-store tasting hosted by Dartmouth’s Nine Locks this afternoon, 4-6pm. Featuring their four flagship beers, Dirty Blonde, ESB, IPA, and Porter, drop by for a taste and grab a few cans to enjoy on the patio. While there, also check out their extensive beer sale, as they’ve marked down several American and Quebec craft beers, to make room for new arrivals.

• Celebrating Earth Day is an annual event for Lion & Bright and Big Spruce Brewing. In support of Ecology Action Centre, the two companies teamed up to collect funds throughout April, whenever patrons ordered tacos or a pint of Big Spruce beer. Tonight at 6pm, drop by L&B to celebrate Earth Day, with a Big Spruce tap takeover featuring some returning favourites, including Gimme Citra Single-Hop Pale Ale, She’s Maibock Lemon Maibock, and Watchtower Conspiracy Imperial IPA, joining their core lineup of beers. During tonight’s event, $1 from every pint, and order of tacos, will add to the donation coffers. More details here.

• Good Robot Brewery are also celebrating Earth Day today, by encouraging patrons to take part in the North End Cleanup starting at 4pm (prizes for those who collect the most street trash), and are inviting some goats from Moo Nay Farms to “graze” on their (faux) lawn on Robie Street. There will be guided yoga at 3pm to limber up before collecting trash, and when the sun goes down, the tap room will be lit only by tea lights. Moo Nay Farms, by the way, are the proud recipient of Good Robot’s spent grains, reducing the feed requirements, and therefore agricultural resources, needed to keep their animals fed. Check out a video of some Robot/Animal fun.

• Tomorrow, April 23rd, is the Winemaker vs Brewmaster event at the Grand Banker in Lunenburg. Featuring Nyanza’s Big Spruce, squaring off against L’Acadie Vineyards, in a five-course meal, each paired with both a wine and beer. Guests vote with either a beer cap or wine cork, and the winning producer will be crowned at the end of the meal. Tickets are available at the Grand Banker, or by phone (902-634-3300).

• On Saturday, April 30th, Railcar is pairing with the Algonquin Resort to present Maritime Beer & Cheer. Being held from 6-9 pm at the Algonquin in Saint Andrews, NB, there will be five courses paired with five different Railcar beers. Tickets are $55 + tax and gratuity, and will feature such pairings as braised beef brisket and butternut squash ravioli with Smoked Molasses Porter. Reserve your tickets by phone (1-855-529-8693) or in person at the resort.

• Local Connections has announced the date for Halifax’s first cask festival, the Cask Beer Showdown. Scheduled for Saturday, September 24th, there will be two sessions (12-3 pm and 5-8 pm) available to attend. Early-bird tickets are now on sale at the above link for $33 each, which includes entry, a Belgian-style take-home glass, and twelve 4 oz samples of a variety of “unique cask-conditioned beers” from local breweries.

That’s all for this week. And, of course, before you go…

– Picaroons is releasing their popular summer seasonal, Dooryard, today; this 4.5% ABV “Organic Wheat Ale” will be available on tap at most Picaroons accounts through the end of summer, as well as for growler fills at both retail locations, and in bottles.
– Grimross Brewing is hiring yet again, this time in the Assistant Brewer position. For details on the requirements and work detail, check out their link.
– Uncle Leo’s has re-released their Altbier today. This traditional German style features a copper colour, and a light body with a significant bitterness and flavour hop presence. At 5.2% ABV, it is available at the brewery for growler fills, and on tap at select bars in the province.
– North Brewing has released another batch of their Barrel-Aged Strong Dark Ale, aged for five months in barrels from Cape Breton’s Glenora Distillery.
– Bore City‘s Equilux, their APA hopped with the mega-delicious Equinox and Citra, has been sent to the James Joyce in Fredericton; it should be tapped later today, and won’t last long, so head in for a pint!
– Tatamagouche Brewery has sent off several pallets of cans of their popular Deception Bay IPA to the NSLC, for distribution across the province. Look for it in the first week of May. Around that same time, just in time for Open Brewery Day on May 7th, they will be opening their larger storefront on Main Street Tatamagouche, with more space for bottles, cans, and growler fills, and they will be offering tasting flights of their beer to visitors. Keep an eye on their Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date on the progress.